1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel process for the production of tocopherols by the tissue culture of Carthamus tinctorius.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tocopherols occur naturally in many kinds of vegetable oils, and comprise analogs such as .alpha.-, .beta.-, .gamma.-, and .delta.-tocopherols, all having the same chroman structure. Although these analogs have different detailed actions and activity, all of them commonly have the physiological action of vitamin E and an antioxidant action. Thus, tocopherols are used as an ingredient of a pharmaceutical preparation and as an antioxidant for food. However, recently it has been found that tocopherols may have a physiological action such as bodily-condition deterioration-preventing or geriatric disease-preventing action, and accordingly, the demand for tocopherols obtained from vegetables is rapidly increasing.
Tocopherols are conventionally produced by a synthesis process or an extraction from vegetable origins. As described above, tocopherols occur in vegetable oils such as soy bean oil, wheat embryo oil, cotton seed oil, palm oil, corn oil, and the like. However, these vegetable oils generally have a low content of tocopherols. Therefore, tocopherols having a vegetable origin are usually obtained from scum formed in the deodorizing process of oil production, as this scum has a relatively high tocopherol content.
However, there are problems in the process for production of tocopherols from this scum; in that, since the scum is a by-product of an oil-production process, the amount of scum supplied depends on the amount of oil produced, and this amount rarely is enough to meet the increasing demand for tocopherols. This factor is the cause of many fluctuations in the cost of tocopherols. Further, although .alpha.-tocopherol is physiologically most effective, tocopherols produced from this scum contain analogs other than .alpha.-tocopherol, such as .beta.-, .gamma.-, and .delta.-tocopherols.
In view of the above problems, a new process for the production of tocopherols having a vegetable origin wherein .alpha.-analog-rich tocopherols are obtained in a large amount and at a low cost is strongly desired.